Doc camp site to backpackers

Doc camp site to backpackers....
It's a hot day so I plan to sleep though the hoters part of the day before having made look at the bike when it cools down in the afternoon - I don't do very well in the heat

As I'm laying there in my tent 1/2 a sleep around midday i hear some people asking me?  About a car that's parked up?  After explaining it not mine and about the bike issues/needing a lift out to napier /hastings I get asked if I can be ready to leave in 20 minutes?

Yep no problem as I start packing up - as it turns out I was very lucky to get a lift as there is just about no one else staying at the camp ground - after packing up I help tie the trike on to the top of the box trailer towed behind a car and the bike trailer on to the front of the box trailer  (where there's a will there's a way : ) before I get into the car with a nice woman who not only gives me a lift to hastings but spends time driving around town stoping at at different places including a few bike shops

 - the first 2 bike shows I try they workshops are book up for over a week ahead and not sure if they can get the bit out -  the 3th bike shop we try (the hub in hastings) after a look at it says it will be a big job then  after some talk including asking me what exactly it the bit of metal stuck in there made of and if it harden steel (what it is...  )
they have a go at puching it out with a hammer and some steel punchs - a few minutes later with the help of the Hamer and punchs the broken part comes out of the hub  - I still need to check everything over before it gets put back together also I need to go finding some more nuts and bolts to have as spares - I have a few spares ones but most likely will need a few more - after the last visit to the bike shop the nice woman that giving me the lift from the middle of nowhere drops me off at a backpackers that a friend of mine knows the people there for the night...

Some where to doc camp site

Some where to doc camp ground...

Spending the morning reading as I only have 36 km to ride (even if it's over a number of steep hills) today - was I was packing up my camp a few of the people in the passing traffic that stopped to look at the old bridge /take a break  stop for a chat - with one even remembering me from the attude TV documentary the year before last  - can be funny just how many people remember me from that show and where they see me -  yep even in the middle of nowhere I can't hide : )

The days riding starts with a climb - funny just how offen that seems to happen to me : )   it's a long slow climb up out of the river valley - at a few times I pull over to let passing trucks by - each time they give me lots of room : )  as I'm climbing there a few steep hill signs - the ones showing a car going up or down a steep angle with the words saying trucks use low gear - at the top climb out of the valley the road rolls up and down a bit before dropping steeply in to a another river valley before climbing back out  on the other side  then it's just one more steep climb to go before I get to the doc camp  - there's a steep grade sign that I stop to get a photo of - as I'm standing next to the bike a passing car stops - winds down the window And asks me if I want a beer what I replied no to ( I don't drink beer or other alcohol - as my body can't handle It for some reason ) then the driver asks me if I want wisket?   I also say no to it  - then the driver says "you got nice tits"  before saying"have a great after life "  before driving off   - as I'm thinking - there's some very odd /creepy People around the place at times and being happy that they drove off - in the opposite way that I'm going)

As I go to start riding up the last hill of the day the peadels spin yet the bike don't move - has the chain come off?   Nope the chain is still on so what's going on?  After checking a few things I see that the nut and bot that holds the drive side hub to the drive axle has broken and a bit of it is stuck in the hub /Axle  - ok what now I do have a replacement bot and nut for it but with the bit stuck in there I can't put it in to get back moving - and I'm in the middle of nowhere with only a few passing cars/moter homes /trucks per day on this road   as I'm having a go at getting the broken bit out a house bus stops with the driver asking me if I'm OK -

after explaining the issue the driver of the house bus parks up off the road before coming back with some tools as we try to get the broken bit out - we get it a bit out  but no more than that - it needs to be drill out or done with a hammer and punch so after some thought the driver waves down a mate of his (they heading for the doc?  lodge near the doc camp ground)  and load up the trike and trailer into the back of the  4wd and drive me over the hill to the doc camp ground where after setting up my camp I get some water from the river (with my folding kitchen sink) and run it through my water filter - doing around 5-6 L of drinking water  - now my main issue beside some how getting a lift out of here if I can't get that bit of broken off bolt out myself is food  (I got between 2-6 days of food left if I'm careful) and maybe a way to pass on a message so people don't panic when they don't hear from me in about 2 days time if I'm still at the doc camp ground then...
Doing a bit of reading before heading off to sleep for the night

Taihape to some where

Taihape to some where...

After a nice night at the backpackers I pack up and get on the road - first stop is McDonald's for a frozen drink then the supermarket for food for the next 4 days or so  - out side the super market is 2 touring cyclists - yep must be bike touring time of the year  : )  after getting the food (leaving me with just about no money in my bank account for the next few days (I get money each week) - luckily there's no where for me to spend any money in the next few days or so  : ) I spent a bit of time chatting with the two other touring riders (I all most need a FAQ  t-shirt or sign on the bike at times with the number of same questions I get asked in my travels  : ) then its time to head out of town over the hills towards napier /hastings  - it's a road that I been meaning to do for a number of years (it's about one of the very last main roads that I have not yet done on the bike in the north Island : )

A few km out of town a passing farmer on a 4wd farm ( motor) bike passes me and offers me lunch - so after a bit of quick thinking I say yes to that and follow the farmer back to his place just down the road.  It turns out that the farmer has done a number of bike touring trips around the world in different places so we spend time chatting about bike touring also farm/horse events suff - turns out we know of some of the same people - yep the horse world can be a small place  - I can seem to go any where in nz  and not run into people that know my friends or know me /of me   : )

After the nice chat and lunch it's time for me to get back on the road game not to worry about the time as I only have about 40 km to go or so unto i get to a camp site I know of next to a old bridge - even if a good number of those km is up hill and up steep hills at that - as I'm climbing up one of the hills I'm thinking this is harder then it should be...  I wonder if I am in fact in low gear - a quick look at the rear gearing tells me I'm about midway in my gears so after tighten the gear cable a bit I can now use all my gears again - that makes climbing that much more easier - if climbing up steep hills can ever be easier?

 Some times I'm down to 3 km/h climbing up the steeper bits - at less with the trike I don't have to worry about it falling over at slow speeds like I do with my bike Friday or my mt bike - passing a number of remote sheep stations before dropping steeply in to the valley of the rangitiket River down to the  old wooden springvale suspension bridge  (named after the near by sheep station)  built in 1925 - the newer steel bridge in use today  next to the old bridge was  built in 1970

After going for a walk across to old and the new bridges its time to set up camp for the night - doing a bit of reading before heading off to bed for the night

Some where to taihape

Some where to taihape

After packing up camp it's time to get back on the road - as I'm riding along I noticed that the chain some times drops off the end of the cassette when I'm in low gear...  After the 3th time I start going over the bike to see whats going on - after finding the most likely cause - a bent derailleur hanger (the part of the bike frame that the rear derailleur is attached to and a bit of thought I pull out a few tools including a adjustable spanner I carefully bend it straight - good thing the bike is has a  steel frame /derailleur hanger - can't do this with a aluminum or carbon fiber frame - most of then have a replaced part-only thing is that you have to have it with you   And there's over 400+ designs for them between the different bikes and some can be very hard to find -

after get it straight I put the rear derailleur back on before getting back on the main road - a few km latter stoping for a photo of the bike by the summit sign of the desert road -at 1074m  I think it's one of the highest main roads in the north Island - up until the crown road (down the south Island) was tarseal a few years ago I think it was the highest tarseal highway in nz?   From there it's mostly down hill (with the odd passing shower - what happened to the sunny weather from the day before?) to the town of  Waiouru  - mostly the town is  a army base with a great museum to do with the army - it does have a subway (the fast food place - not a underground railway : ) where I stop for some lunch before getting some pictures of the trike and trailer next to some of the tanks out side the museum  : )

  then it's time to get back on the road - the road tends down hill towards taihape with one down hill being steep enough for me to get up to 71 km/h - a new top speed with the trike (I did lose one of the hi-vise flags off the trailer - will have to find/make a new one up in the next few days - getting into the town of taihape I stop in at the info center - there's no camping ground in taihape from what I can find out - though I was told of a place where people sometimes set up tents for the night - in the end I decided to stay at a backpackers ($25 per person per night in a 8 bed dorm) - the backpackers is called rusty nail and is very nice - as I get up there - it's up a hill  with great views towards the Mountains - there's a man with a bike also doing a bike tour also staying the night so we have a bit of a chat about touring - though they English is not great  (and I don't speek German (or just about any other language besides my vision of English - what even many English speaking people have trouble understanding  : )

After doing my washing -I  was running low on clean cycling gear  I do some reading before heading off to bed for the night - odd to be sleeping inside a building as its been a few months since the last time I slept indoors  : )

Turangi to some where

Turangi to some where

A late start to the days riding as I chat to a few people including 2 traveling cyclists and the person at the front (only?) desk as I drop off the keys to the bathroom /kitchen after unplugging the phone that's been charging up - ever since I forgot my tablet at a Campground in taumarunui about a year or so ago and had to do a 60 km round trip by thumb to get the tablet back I tend to check that I have not forgotten any of my e-suff then it's time for a bit of shopping before getting on the road around lunch time.

Heading out of Turangi on S. H. 1  I pass the weight bridge (where trucks are checked for weight so they not over loaded /over the weight rules /check other things) where i had some fun with the people who was at the weight bridge about the size of my bike Friday and bike trailer with a touring load on it a few years ago now  - nice to see even people at a weight bridge having some  fun  : ) 

Keeping a eye on the mirror to see what the  traffic behind me is doing - besides a very few people the traffic has been good giving me room or waiting until it's safe to pass with the white line shoulder on the side of the road being anything from very wide to no shoulder (ofen with no warning)  - lots of friendy waves and nice  toots of the horn from passing cars - I'm wearing high-vise gear including a helmet cover (yep I still wear a helmet on  the trike - keep in mind that this is a girl  who is known to have gotten her trike on 2 wheels more than a few times and has come off it a few times : ) and at least one high - vise cover on the front panniers and a number of flags  (including 2 nz flags on the trailer - that for some odd reason people think are Australian flags? ...)  

Passing over over one of the many conules?  That take water between lakes and rivers to Lake taupo by 2 power stations - including one that the power house is around 80?  m under ground (there used to be tours of the 2 power stations years ago - I did the tour of the power station near Turangi at least once over the years with my family over the years - as well as visiting more then a few other power stations in my travels around nz ) I stop to get a few photos - Looks very different after the logging of the pine forest (I'm so use to seeing it with all the trees around it)

Then it's back to riding - in places the road drops down to cross a steam before climbing back up - at one point I see a sign for one end of the Mt bike ride to tree trunk gouge?  So I decided to go for a little 10-15 minute walk along the trail for a break from the riding. Then it's time to get back on the bike as time is moving on...

From memory there is a side road that leads up to a winter ski field - it's a gravel road that turns into a 4wd track as it climbs up the side of the mountain - after this road on both sides of the main road is army land - no public access for the next 30? Km or so - after some thought I head up the ski field road until I find a safe place to spend the night - passing at one point a ute that's stuck in a bit of water - lots of 4wd tracks heading off the gravel road (there's a more then a few signs saying no vehicles off the gravel road beside the road - its a national park and on one side of the road is army  training land - yep looks like more than a few people can't read....)

Notes from My 2016 tour aotearoa ride

Some Story's/notes from my ta ride earlier this year  - or what 3 hours typing away on my tablet looks like.....    -  enjoy

Taumarunui to mosely campsites

Leaving taumarunui  I head along back roads towards whakahoro  on a mix of gravel and tarseal roads – whakahoro is one of the places where the boats leave for a jet boat or where people can padded a canoe/kayak down the river to bridge to nowhere and on to pipiriki  (next road access to the river – from whakahoro I head around the kaiwhakauka track  pass the blue duck Cafe. As I’m heading along the track I play tag with a few off road bikes  (4wd farm bikes)  with backpackers before I stop at a water fall next to the site of a old bridge dating from the 1920?s  (the old wooden bridge collapse a few years ago taking a newer bridge that was on top of it with it – the bridge has been replaced with a newer one with the remains of the old bridge next to the track near the new bridge  -

 past the bridge the track goes from a 4wd track to a single track at the site of a Depot for the farmers trying to clear farms out of the bush – from here the track gets a lot harder with a long drop to the steam next to the track  - I end up walking parts of the track as its safer then trying to ride parts  – the area is very remote and hard land – this road?  Was put though in the 1920s for access to the valleys for the return soldiers to clear the land for farms –because of work involved with trying to clear and farm the bush

 - the  people had all left the valley by 1942 – all what’s left is old house sites and the big concrete arch bridge (called bridge to nowhere as it’s deep in the bush) build 1935-1936  - by the time the bridge was finished many of the family’s had left the valley – along the track is little signs with the names of the people who had tried to farm here... 

It’s a mix of riding and pushing the bike along the track crossing foot bridges across side streams  until I get to mosely campsite (cooking shelter, rain water tank and toilet)  where I set up camp for the night – there is a tramper also staying the night who is planning on taking a different route out then what I’m doing.  After a bit of a chat I head off to bed for the night

Mosely campsite to near bridge to nowhere

After packing up camp and getting water – some times getting water can be a bit of a issue on this track as it can be a steep drop down to the steam (water course’s in mudstone County cut deep) I get back to riding the track – well at least trying to as between the conditions of the track and a bit of a issue with bike drive chain what I  end up fixing by relubing the drive chain and a few others bits adjusted I end up still walking parts of the track until I get to a clearing where there appears to be land still being farmed?

  From there the track is a lot more easier to ride as it’s now a 4wd track /gravel road as it climbs out of the valley to fork in the track with the left side going to a different 4wd track out of the bush. Turning right on to a gravel road /4wd track (mangapurua  track) I do a bit more climbing before getting to a high point at mangapurua trig – from there its a long and fun down hill as I drop into the valley where the bridge to nowhere is passing a few campsites – hunters use this track for access into deeper parts to the bush. 
In places there are ford’s with the remains of old wooden bridges next to them – at some point the 4wd track ends at a foot bridge across a steam that’s to deep for a Ford crossing  - at the bridge is a 4wd bike parked up (hunters) from here onward to the bridge to nowhere the track crosses steams on narrow foot bridges that mean I need to take the panniers off the bike to fit it across the  bridge (there’s around 6? Of them)

  in places the track is being worked on by doc (slips are a common issue on the track in places) at times there’s places where there’s signs saying to walk the bike as the track is to narrow /slippery to ride safely with a very long drop to the steam /River  - at one place called battleship bluff (because of the shape of the landscape) the people who built the road /track spent years slowly blasting a track (starting from the top and cutting they way down  to where the track is now) 

- looking at the time I’m happy that I allow extra time to get to the river near bridge to nowhere for the lift to pipiriki  by jet boat  that I booked when I was in taumarunui (pretty much no cell phone reception from taumarunui until top of gentle Annie Hill  (17 km?  Out of Whanganui) apparently there is  a phone at Blue duck cafe?) so boats need to be pre-booked to get a lift from mangapurua landing  (where the bridge to nowhere track comes out – I keep riding until I get to near the bridge to nowhere where I set up camp for the night  - good thing I allowed extra time to get to mangapurua landing as I would of missed the boat by 45 mins   so there’s no rush to make it to the landing that day

Near the bridge to nowhere to some where on the river road
After a bit of a sleep in I head along the track over the bridge to nowhere (stoping for photos)  before heading down to mangapurua landing to wait for the jet boat – spending the time chatting with some of the visitors that came by boat from both up and down river  - then it’s time to get on the jet boat for the trip down river as for what the boat trip was like I would say it’s much better/ nicer going by canoe /kayak down the river having gone from whakahoro all the way to Whanganui  by kayak when I was walking the te araoa trail a few years ago from cape reinga to Wellington 

Once the boat got to pipiriki it was time to get back to riding on the road – in places the road was under repair because of some big floods some months ago. Riding along the Whanganui River Rd I stop at the old convent at Jerusalem  (one of the small villages along the road)  before getting back on the road riding until I to a free doc camp site on the river Rd that I have stayed at before where I set up camp for the night

Some where on the river road to top 10 camp ground at Whanganui 
After getting back on the road I keep riding along the river road until I get to the top of gentle Annie Hill  (cell phone reception?)  getting nice views/photos from the lookout before a fun Down hill  ride to a T-intersection with S. H. 4 where it’s a flat ride along the highway into the city of Whanganui  (stopping for a ice-cream along the way : ) .  After spending a bit of time looking around town I head out to the top 10 camp ground  (around 10? Km from the centre of town) setting up camp for the night before spending time charging up my phone and other things that needed charging up then heading to bed for the night

Whanganui top 10 to hunterville
Getting in a bit of shopping including a mp3 player/fm radio  that was on sale – the shop people tryed to tell me that the mp3 player would not work with my phone (my phone can use USB drives) and I needed a different mp3 player like a apple one (what I knew would not work for me as  Apple mp3 players need iTunes on a computer to put songs on them) - yep it worked fine as the mp3 player was just a USB drive to the phone – don’t you hate it when sales people give out wrong information to try to sell you a different thing then you want /need (for a much higher price  as well or they act like you can’t possibly know what you talking about...     Anyhow I also picked up the latest version of the Kennett book on nz cycle trails as it had more up to date info in it then the one I had been using  before stocking up on food as next supermarket for me  is  not until to palmerston North  - there is a few small shops like in Hunterville  but no supermarkets on the ta route
Then it was time to leave town for hunterville  by back roads  - but first up was I ride down a tunnel and into a elevator – might sound odd for a bike ride but this is the durie Hill elevator  ($2) open hours ( in 2016) are Monday to Friday 7:30 am-6 pm  Saturday 9am-6 pm  Sunday 10am - 5pm

At the top is a tower with views over the city   - after getting photos of the durie Hill elevator and from the tower it was time for me to leave the city. riding  on back roads  past a few villages  and over a few hills until I get to hunterville where there is free camping (though they sometimes lock the public toilet at night?) in the park (can be noisily  with the traffic on S. H. 1)  after looking around town for a bit (it’s a small place : )  I set up camp in the park before heading off to sleep for the night

 

More notes from my 2016 tour aotearoa ride

More notes from my tour aotearoa ride...   (hopefully I will finish typing up my notes from my 2016 ta ride before I start a 2017 ride along the ta route...  : )

Hunterville to ashhurst

Leaving hunterville the route of the tour aotearoa takes me along sh1 for about 5 km before turning off on to sh54 - passing the vinegar hill camping site (free camping?) where I have stayed at a few times over the years  - no stopping for me this time  as I turn off sh54 on to back roads (a fun mix of gravel and tarseal roads) that led me to rangiwahia where I stop for a break

after looking around the domain to decide if to stop for the day there or to keep going (there are camping sites at the domain ) in the end I decided  to keep going and see where I will end up -  the ta route takes me along back roads towards Palmerston North  passing through the village of apiti  (a place I ended up riding though on a few other rides over the years - mostly on day rides out of Palmerston North)

  on one of the gravel roads its deep sand/ gravel what makes it hard going - at one point I saw a person on a (road) motorcycle decide to turn around as it was to hard for then to ride in it - getting to totara reserve (one of the photo control points as part of the ta route /ride) just on dark I decided to put the lights on and keep riding though to ashhurst  where I set up camp at the ashhurst domain  (a place I have stay at more than a few times over the years)  -

Ashhurst to eketahuna

After packing up camp I first head into Palmerston North for a bit of shopping before  taking the pahiatua track  (a tarseal road over the hill to pahiatua - it's a road that gets used most when the main road though the gorge is closed - most of the time it has only a few?  Cars and the odd truck using it - I know it well as I used to use it for training back when I stay for a bit in Palmerston North as well as using it to get between Palmerston North and South  to eketahuna /Wellington or North to hastings instead of riding though the gorge) 

after riding over the hill I head on to a rough gravel road for a few km before getting back to tarseal roads  to the town of pahiatua  - it's a small town with a very wide main St  as when the town was first planned /layed out the railway was to run down the middle of the main St of the town - as it happens that never happened so it's now has a park /green space in the middle on the main St  - for many years Palmerston North had the rail line run though the middle of town with  the the rail yards/train station being first where the square is now before moving south a bit (where the railway resuve is now) 

After pahiatua I head along back roads towards eketahuna getting there just on dark  (remembering to get a photo of the big kiwi (another of the photo control points with the ta route /ride) before heading to the camp ground at the domain for the night

2 weeks out from the start of my big taupo ride

2 weeks out update

Hi everyone this is a update on a few different things with my big taupo ride with the start of the my taupo ride around 2 weeks away  (start date is around the 18th of October)
 
First up - please let others include your friends know about this ride including sharing it on Facebook - expressly the link to the fund-raising page  /part of the ride  also maybe any media to help spread  the word  out about the ride out there (including the fund-raising side of the ride)

The training for the taupo ride is now done : )  -  after 12000 + km in the last year or so on my different  bikes  I have done the best I can do  - also I'm not going to be getting any more fiter this close to the start of the ride  but will get in some  more rides this week /early next week (mostly playing around with the set up on the other/back up bike  (mostly fine tuning  : )

There is a few more bike things still to get as I finalize the kit lists for the bikes  (including a tool's and spare parts list for each bike)

When I was last in taupo a few?  Weeks ago I did a full test run by going from the place I'm planning on staying at (around 10 km from taupo) in to taupo then around the lake then back to the place I started  - 183 km and 2000 m of climbing  -  the ride went well even though it rain for parts of it  - the main difference between that ride and the planed big taupo ride was the food/drink as I'm planning on using hammer  (sports food) on the ride  - it's the same suff I used on other long rides including most of my past taupo rides so I know it works for me  : ) the rest of the ride was done in the way I'm planning on doing during the big taupo ride 

The plan is to head down to taupo some time next week  with gear and bikes   in time for any last minute jobs (there's always last minute jobs : )

Links and how to follow/get in contact with me on the Internet

The Facebook page for my taupo ride is at

 https://m.facebook.com/Damianas-taupo-ride-971478602966642/

Looking at/hoping to use  map my ride  and Strava on the ride (using my phones to record that info - as the Garmin edge 500 that I had been using died on me (and there is no spare money to spend on a replacement gps bike computer - extremely tight budget ) -  on map my ride under damiana day  and Strava under damiana day (at less that's what I think I'm under?  With them : )

Instagram - GYPSYONABIKE1

Twitter - @gypsyonabike

Blog  - www.lifeonabikeinnz.blogspot.co.nz

My everyday Travel Facebook page

life on the road by bike and on foot Facebook page - https://m.facebook.com/Life-on-the-road-by-bike-and-on-foot-487124424703197/

Fundraising for heart kids

I will be fundraising for heart kids as I do my big taupo ride  - here's a bit more about that(the fund-raising side of things - from the fund-raising page that I have set up -

 I have created this page because I want to make a difference. I'm inspired by the work of Heart Kids NZ and wanted to support them by raising money as part of my participation in Cycle for Heart Kids 2016. Please help me help them by giving whatever you can using the 'Give Now' button. The more people that know about Heart Kids NZ, the greater their impact, so please also spread the word by sharing my page with your friends and family. Thank you in advance for your generosity, it means a lot!

The link to the fund-raising page is at https://cycleforheartkids2016.everydayhero.com/nz/damiana-s-taupo-bike-ride

- thanks to the great people at spot nz -http://www.spotnz.com and (Facebook) https://m.facebook.com/Hirespotnz/ you will be able to track where I am as I ride around the lake - link to the tracking website for the ride to come soon (note from what I understand it will be a different website then the one I have been using on my round nz tour )

If any of the links don't work please let me know so I can fix them : )

Short update with blog

Hi everyone

Have been busy with the taupo ride planning and training  so have not put much on this blog - I'm hoping to get back to my bike touring travel suff after I finish the taupo ride  with the taupo ride starting soon (see updates
)  this blog will be on hold until after the big ride as will be busy with the big ride   : )

Yes I am transgender - its just part of who I am - so if you have a issue with that keep it to your self or else take your hate else where so if you are transphobic  please unlike this page as you are not welcome here...

To all the hateful transphobic people out there who have been posting /saying nasty things about me and others - take your hate else where or keep it to your self - the world does not want or need your transphobic hate of others...

Been a rough day - some thoughts on the last few days for me

It's been Rough day today for me emotionally and mentally though I try not to show it - I'm still miss reading people far to much and forgetting things /making mistakes (including with things that people tell me) also my energy levels are still all over the place as well as the thing for planing and doing different tasks /jobs is not working so well (even worse than usual) -im not sure whats going on there and what I can do about it as some of it appears to be what I deal with for at least the last few years but some of it appears to be new?

- might be head injurie suff or maybe dyspraxia related (dyspraxia is ever changing including short and long term so as some things do get easier other things do get harder to do or deal with ) - Note to any one that makes jokes about head injury or about the other health problems I deal with  - a)  its not funny when you have to live with it and b)  you not helping in fact you are making it worse as your jokes and lack of understanding  tends to make it harder for people (like me) who need extra help to get it when they need it

Body dysphoria - this is related to the transgender side of my life and some days can hit me pretty hard (like today when it was really messing with me ) -( the gender missmach of the gender different between my body and my head, heart and soul that is a large part of being transgender for me (different transgender people have different levels /thoughs on it ) its  not something I can reary talk about to others as like many things that relate to being transgender it's something that most people (ie none transgender people) will never begin to understand and it's hard to explain dealing with it as there is a different in reference points - it's one of those strange things of people who know can rarely explain it and people who don't can never really understand what it's like to deal with (partly because for none transgender people they body/head/heart ands soul do Mach up as far as gender go) -- it's just another thing to deal with /find ways to help deal with it - not the easiest of things

living in/being part of the transgender world - some of my um well meaning friends has told me I should be spending less time / effort on transgender issues /suff  - well here's the thing about me being   transgender - it's some thing of a lifetime thing and it effects just about every thing in my life is some way (even before you go into the hormone therapy /surgical side of things) - even thing from dealing with people to what I wear /how I wear it, even going to the bathroom (tends to be a big issue) where I can Stay, any jobs that I do, what I buy/how I shop, the news /suff I followed on line, the issues I face as a young transgender woman, even how I do suff on the bike, my safety - I'm only in the first 2 years of  being out as the real me after being hidden for so long so I'm always learning and having to learn new things every day (I have 30 some thing years of learning to chach up on)  - so as you can see its  not something that I can just put to one side and forget about

- this is the first time I spent any real time staying in one place in a city (the other time I spent off the road have been staying on some ones farm or lifestyle block so mostly out of the bigger towns/cities )  one of the main things that I'm noticing is that there is still a long way to go in the understanding and support of disability people and also the understanding and support of LGBT+ people - yes people both in nz and world wide have come a long way but there is still a long way to go and many battles to fight for - so yes if I stand up for disabled rights and support and for LGBT + rights and support that is my choice to do so - to help fight the battles even if it means dealing with more people who hate me / discriminate against me  (and others in the disabled /LGBT + world) on a near daily basis - including having to  deal with odd death threats (including a few attempts on my life) because if people don't stand up and start demand change and then keep pushing for it- things don't change and the world goes backwards in care and support for every one

Photo of new bike : )

Hi everyone here is a update on the last week or so : )

Hi everyone - here's a update on the last week or so -

My round nz bike tour is on temporary hold because of bike issues with my bike Friday  (I'm just taking things day by day so I'm not sure when I'm back to living on the road by bike : ) - the front hub has wore out (the bearing races in the hub is suffed so it now just eats ball bearing so it needs a new hub - also would need a new rim as the rim has heavily wear from the rim brakes (at some point I may upgrade to disk brakes so the rims don't wear out from using rim brakes  (the back rim is the same - with the bearing not much better ) to get a new front wheel for the bike Friday is at least $415 and at lest the same for the back wheel also the bikes headset needs replacement at $100+?
 And last the not less a new chain and maybe a new carset (the gears on the back)  so that's around $80-160 as well  - that's on top of the around $800 +?  I owe the bike shop in Hamilton for other parts/work done on the bike  - it's mosty just wear and tear on the bike from the type of riding I do and the number of Km I do each year (around 8000 km of touring in the last year alone on my bike Friday)

I do have a Mt bike that is my back up bike - that also needs work /parts after I used it on the tour aotearoa route also it dont really fit me very well and I do have other issues with riding it (part of why I have a hand made folding bike) so what am I riding with the bike Friday down for repairs and the Mt bike also out?  Well that's the next bit of news :  )....

Thanks to a friend I now have a new (well new to me anyway : ) bike to ride. So what's the new bike one may ask?   It's a 2002? hase kettwiesel recumbent delta trike-its a little hard to describe - (one wheel in front /2 wheels in the back with the right side back wheel being the drive wheel (ie the drive chain runs to a 7 speed freewheel that spins the right side back wheel) the bike is around 85 cm at the widest point (between the outside edges of the back wheels when they touch the ground (the back wheels are at a angle so it's around 75 cm at the top of the back wheels /fenders (the fenders are needed on a bike like this so there's less chance of injury from the rider touching the tires when moving as the rider is sitting on the recumbent seat between the back wheels on this bike

- the seat on this bike is lower then on a df bike  (the most common type of bike) but not super low to the ground like many other recumbent bike can be - though one of the first things I did was to make a larger (and more colorful : ) flag so it's more easy to spot the bike even on busy roads /traffic  (I get even more room on the road now with the flag when on this bike then I get when riding on my bike Friday) as for night use the bike is well lit up with 2-3 back lights (the bike has a tire dynamo power rear light /front light (the front light needs a new light bulb thought) in front I'm running a high power font light that attached to the front pannier rack (the rack off my bike Friday) as well as a small head light on my bike helmet  -

the  bike is made in  Germany (I think by the law over there most bikes have to have lights?)  so what's the drive chain/gearing like on the bike?   Well as it stands now the back 7 speed freewheel ( yep it's a free wheel not free hub like most more modern bikes as that was what was in use at the time (more modern (hase) kettwiesel bikes do run a mix of drive chains including 9 speed carset ( freehub?)  the gear teeth on the back are 11,12, 14,16, 18, 24,  32 with a grip-shift type gear shifter and in front is odd?  Crankset with 2 chainrings (40, 53)  but no front derailed - you change front gears by moving the chain with a hand/foot?  -front gear set /chain line setup appears to of been done after the bike left the factory in Germany but before the bike was sold from a bike shop in nz km friend got the bike new around 2003? With it not having much use in the last few years so it's in great condition
on a side note  the ( hase) kettwiesel bikes are offen set up with hand crank's as a hand bike for disabled riders with the factory selling the hand crank's and other accessories for disabled riders

The brakes on the bike are on the back wheels - there is no brakes on the front wheel partly as with the front wheel being lighty loaded it works better with the brakes on the back wheels - this 2002? bike has odd looking v-brakes with the out side brake arms being fixed (so it works a bit like cable disk brakes on many Mt bikes)  - having taken the bike up to 60 + km/h down hill a few times I find the brakes work ok (keeping in mind the bike is 14 years old - more modern (hase) kettwiesel bikes have disk brakes

The wheels on the bike are 20" wheels (406 size - the same as my bike Friday : )  currently running 1.25 " tires  -i  will have to have a good look at the fenders to see just what tires I can run on the bike  (ie how much space there is between the tires and the fenders)

Lastly weight - I have no idea how heavy it is - around 17 kg  (recumbent trikes do tend to weigh more then other bikes)  but then again weight is the less of my worries when riding : )

So what is it like to ride?

In short it's great fun to ride -  it does take time to get use to how it rides and what the limits are with the handling (including some times getting it up on 2 wheels going around bends : )as for comfort this bike is very comfortable for me to ride - even  on my bike Friday I still have pain/numb issues in my hands and shoulders (mostly from old injuries including from getting hit by a truck on the bike in 2008) as there no weight on my shoulders and Hands the old injuries are not so much of a issue when riding this bike  - I have had knee pain a few times on this bike but it's still early days with a some what difference way of pedaling and it may be a knee alinement issue in my legs  (some thing what I had for many years partly caused by how I walk (dyspraxia? Issues)  on a side note with it being a 3 wheel recumbent trike  my balance   issues are not so much of a um issue : )  as I don't have to worry about the bike going from under me including at slower speeds climbing up hills  : )  and it's very easy to get on or off - I do have a loop on one of the brake leavers to act as a park brake so the bike don't roll away on a slope : )

The rest of my planning for the taupo ride is now mosty done - what's a good thing as the date of the start of my ride gets ever closer : )   and my todo lists as getting shorter - well they was until I got the (new)  bike as it added a lot more this on to the todo list - I'm hoping to have the bike Friday bike back  to being able to be use for riding before the taupo ride - thought at this point in time I'm not sure what  bike I will be using the most on the taupo ride

Training for the taupo ride is going ok - not great but ok - I did have some time a few days ago when I was unable to even ride a bike (disabilitys related suff-it happeneds from time to time with me)  I did get in a 75 km ride on Wednesday?  That went ok  (well the first 15 km was not good with me finding it very hard and wanting to turn around and head back to my friends place where I been staying  but I keep riding knowing that if I did give up and turn around it would mean that it would be all to easy  to give un/in when  having a hard/bad days when  I'm doing the taupo ride  - I think my next training ride is today - well after I first fix a flat tire on the bike and do a few other things to it as I work out the best setup/what to take with me when riding : )

Hase kettwiesel ride report 33 km

hase kettwiesel ride report  33 km

With the bike Friday down for repairs a friend (Erik (from the tour aotearoa ride) - has lent?  Me the use of a hase kettwiesel 3 wheel recumbent bike so i can keep riding  : )  as the bike has not been used in some time it took a few hours of work to get ready including moving the front end of the bike frame In to adjust the size (a bit like moving the seat post up or down to adjust the saddle hight on most bikes) and shorting the chain  (Erik is taller then me : ) 

  onice the bike was ready for a test ride and a break in the weather  it was time to take the bike out for a ride  : )  heading down the driveway of Erik's place  I wait for the bike computer to get the gps working before heading down hill with my friend on they Mt bike (the bike they had on the tour aotearoa ride) - about 10 m from the house the front end of the bike slowly turn side ways - I had not done the boxes the hold the front part of the bike tight enough when I changed the frame size (a sliding boom means the bike can be set up for different size rides) a easy fix ( had packed tools in the bag behind the seat for any on the road adjustment that was needed  as this was a test ride) taking things some what slowly as its the 2 time I been on a recumbent bike and the first time was a 100 km day ride at cycle queenland ride over 10 years ago on a different design (that one was a greenspeed tadpole - ie 2 wheels in front one behind -

the hase kettwiesel is a delta recumbent - one wheel in front 2 behind)   with my friend keeping a eye on me as we made our way though town (rotorua) until we got on to the off road cycle paths that lead though a park when I had a good play getting used to the handing of the bike as we made our way around people and along the trails around the different geothermal hotpools /mud pools until we get to a off road trail that leads on to a pathway the runs next to the old rail line out to ngongotaha including going around (or some times even under : ) the anti-motorbike  barriers on the trail -

a good and fun test to get though small /tight places (the  bike is around 85 cm wide and maybe 1.5 m? Long with front wheel steering (under seat hander bars linked to the front forks with a link rod) - after going through some more of the path my friend and I noticed that one of the back  tires was now flat (the bike had been sitting for a few years so I had just pump up the tires - knowing that there was a high chance that they might be a slow leak on one of the bike wheels) well first up was working out how to get the tire off so I could change the tube - the bike has these odd v-brake set up where the in side break arms move and the out side is a fixed pad mounted on a arm that heald to the frame - I'm not sure how the back wheels do come off?  So I end up taking part of the brake a part to change the tube - well after a bit of a battle to get the tube out I get one of the spare tubes - what tuneds out to be to long - yes it's a 20" tube -

after looking at the size and looking at the old tube I work out the issue - it's a 1 1/8 tube (20"-451 size) and the tire size is 1.25 (20" - 406)   so i get out the other spare tube and it's 20" 1.25  - yep it's the right size  now that's worked out the rim tape causing a issue (  easily fixed)  as the value is a car vale on the new tube I change over the pump bits before putting the tube back in and the tire back on (tight fit at the end) before pumping up to around 70 psi and putting the brakes back together  : )  then its back to riding in/out of ngongotaha then though the argdoom?  On to back roads with the weather being off and on cold showers and wind as we make our way around over rolling hills with a fun climb (finding out just how low the gearing is - it's 7 in the back and 2 in the front (no derailed in front though)  (remember the bike is from around 2002)  heading up a fun climb before a even more fun Down hill getting up to 57 km/h -

after nearly coming off in the first few bends I soon start getting the hang of it  : )   then a bit rolling as we head back into rotorua taking things carefully with  Erik riding Besides/in front or behind me much of the time partly as I had some how forgot to put the safety flag back on from working on the bike (it's back on the bike now along with better lights and a few other things  : )  I had a Garmin GPS bike computer (will have to find a place for the spot tracker to sit on the bike) on the bike so i was looking at that from time to time  : )  -

after 33 km it was time to head back to my friends place  - did have a sore knee at times but that also happens on my bike Friday  (no other pain like the shoulder and hands pain I get at times  (cause by old injuries including getting hit by a truck in 2008) - the ride is a bit rough on rougher roads/trails - handling - soon got the handling down (very stable - there is a kit to use this bike as a hand crank bike for disabled riders - see website ) good turning for its size -

brakes are OK  as for the gears I would have to count the number of teeth on the front and back and look a gear chart  to see how it compares to my bike Friday gearing  - it's a very fun bike to ride (more easily to ride for me then even my bike Friday as it's very stable to ride) after finishing the ride I stopped the Garmin GPS bike computer (edge 500) and put the bike away  : )  before uploading the bike computer info  on the the tablet and on line (had a upload issue but found a app up date that fixed it : )  and that's the ride report for my first ride on this bike : )  

2th update

Hi everyone

For any one wondering when I will be in some part in nz /or else will be doing something  -  Very Sorry - it's  Unknown at this point in time - I have been dealing with a lot in my life lately  so I can't give any real time frames for getting places - with the way my life is at this point in time I'm just getting though days the best I can with many things that I can't /won't talk about with any people -so it's best if I don't even try to say when I will do/be some thing/where  any more - partly as it depends on weather and what route I'm taking and partly how my body is /how I feel each day   - as it now stands my only set goal/plan this year is for me to do the taupo ride  - for any thing else the answer would have  to be a very big maybe or just likey a No

A update

Hi all I'm still around - have been busy riding around nz - I'm now back in the north Island after doing about 3000 km in the south Island by bike-  will be looking at updating this blog when I get some down time from riding   : )

Dark days and nightmares...

Dark days and nightmares...

I'm not sure how to put this down in words ...
I'm still having  nightmares and some dark days  about what happened to me near foxton -the near rape /attack - some times its having flash backs other times its the what if's that come up in my thoughts -  for the first week or so I keeped my thoughts and memorys of what happened locked away the best I could and tryed my best to move on with life - in my head is a space a bit like a mix between a bank vault and a army bunker where I lock away things I don't want to remember (some times having a near photography memory can be a bad thing) or things I can't deal with at that point in time - also I have what I call my safe place where I'm cut off from the world (one of the last times I went there was during a near suicide attempt in 2015 (the night of my birthday or near about ) its not a place that I can Stay long - in short it can cause big heath issues if I spend more then a few hours there any how the nightmares did stop for a few weeks? but as its not a good idea to keep things locked away to long the nightmares/broking sleep patterns and flash backs are back and getting worse and harder to deal with - the nightmares are very dark at times -having lots of time to think on the bike is some times not so good as some times as I'm riding on the bike I need to stop for a good cry /time out of the world on the side of the road other times its when I'm on my own in my tent - some times going to some very dark places - I'm not thinking about killing myself (as I some how know even during my very dark times its not the answer to the issues just like I some how know that drugs and alcohol as not the answer as well (a far to easy path to fall down (a big part of why I have to stay away from drugs and alcohol )

Having the police do little more than "victim blaming"  and not being offered real any help with the issues that came up because of the near rape - no one from the police or any one else has been in contact with me for updates or to see how I'm doing?

Also having "friends"  (who really should know better) tell me that it's just part of being female - to me that's more "victim blaming" - you are not helping - sorry but I don't accept that's OK for people to go around attacking /raping others just because someone is a woman (or in some cases it's men as well getting attack or raped ) to me it makes better sense to locked up /treat the sick people that attack /raped others then to do more victim blaming of the people/victims of such crimes - some have said that I need to forgive the (sick) person who attacked me /tryed to rape me - no I will not do that as they do not deserve my forgiveness as in many ways it's saying its OK what they did to me

Perhaps it's a case of me maybe now having pstd ( Posttraumatic stress disorder)? because of the near rape/attack? - on top of the domestic violence from my mums long term boyfriend - the times my mums boyfriend  has tried to kill me and the death threats over the Last? years (not that the police have done anything to help with that - thought some of that is more a issue with the way the law/way the police work)

Some days I feel I'm on the edge of a bad mental break down - some how I get though the day/night   - on a side note I can't take many of the drugs used in mental health (because of dyspraxia/other issues)  perhaps I may look more into service dogs (thought me living on the road by bike might be a issue - perhaps a dog trailer behind the bike?) - perhaps staying in a place where I feel safe for a few weeks or more?  May be a good idea though hard to do in reality because of a few different things - in the last 10? Years that I been full time on the road there's only been maybe 2 places with friends where I have stayed for more the 2 weeks and feel safe there (I wont say where but some of my friends will know exactly who/what places I'm talking about)  anyhow I will leave it at that as crying and trying to do typing on my phone don't work together well..

A update on my upcoming lake Taupo ride

Hi everyone - here's a more full  updated to do with my Lake taupo bike ride latter this year  - for anyone wondering how my riding /training is going for the bike ride

The Facebook page for my taupo ride is at

 https://m.facebook.com/Damianas-taupo-ride-971478602966642/

So please Like it and share it to your friends

I'm now about 25? North of Timaru tonight on my round nz bike ride - The Number of Km done on my bike (on my bike Friday) so far on this (training /bike tour) trip that I'm on now is now up to 1800 km(from te kuiti and just about all of the time with a full touring load on the bike ) - i still have a lot of Km to ride before I start my Lake taupo ride : )  - the starting day of my (40 laps in 40 days) taupo ride is now about 119 days away - in that time (between now and the start of my taupo ride) I  still have around 4500 km to ride in training /touring (the training is mostly on this tour but will keep up the riding after I get back to raglan /te kuiti on this trip ) as well as having to do  a lot of other things that are on my to do list before I start riding around lake taupo - on a side note the number of Km that I have done on my bike(s) (between  my Mt bike and bike Friday) so far this year is around 5800 km  : )

Fundraising for heart kids

I will be fundraising for heart kids as I do my big taupo ride  (where I will be doing 40 laps of the lake in 40 days on my bike as its the 40th year of the cycle challenge this year - here's a bit more about that(the fund-raising side of things (from the fund-raising page that I have just set up - I have created this page because I want to make a difference. I'm inspired by the work of Heart Kids NZ and wanted to support them by raising money as part of my participation in Cycle for Heart Kids 2016. Please help me help them by giving whatever you can using the 'Give Now' button. The more people that know about Heart Kids NZ, the greater their impact, so please also spread the word by sharing my page with your friends and family. Thank you in advance for your generosity, it means a lot!

The link to the fund-raising page is at https://cycleforheartkids2016.everydayhero.com/nz/damiana-s-taupo-bike-ride

  the other bit of news on my riding - thanks to the great people at spot nz -http://www.spotnz.com and (Facebook) https://m.facebook.com/Hirespotnz/ you can now track where I am on the road as I tour around nz  - they will also be doing the gps spot tracking for me on my taupo ride  latter this year   - here is the link to the tracking website for me on my round nz tour -  http://damiana.trackme.bike

here's some more notes from the road - enjoy : )

Hi all - here's some more notes from the road  -   enjoy : )

Doc camp site to some where

After packing up camp I head  the 10 km back in to picton where I spend a bit of time looking around town before stocking up on some food and starting the climb out of picton - a fun little warm up of a hill : )  after  that bit of a hill it's mostly flat?  For much of the rest of the day  getting in to b where there is a off road cycle Lane next to the road that leads onto a footpath across the bridge (the bridge has not much space for bikes on the road part of the bridge so it's safer to use the footpath when crossing it) I stop at the info center for info on some places to camp for the night before heading to a bike shop to pick up a few things including a replacement trailer tire  then had a bit of other things to deal with before doing some shopping for the next few days  and heading out town on SH1  - did try at one place  (that said they had camping) for a tent site but all they had was space for motor homes :  (   so I keep on riding - as I'm riding on SH1 towards the big hill (and it's getting darker) I pass a road called redwood pass?  About a km or two down the road pass the road to redwood pass I remember where I saw that name (of the road)  - redwood pass is part of the old (up to 1930s) route  south  -  a bit of Google latter I see its still in use (with signs saying no though way for long trucks)  I even see some notes from other bike touring riders who have done the road -  the road is a mix of tarseal and gravel that winds it's way up hill towards the pass (198 m or so)  at some point in time it's time to put to turn my bike lights on and keep on riding until I find a safe place to set up my tent for the night - I do find a place just off the road - it's on a bit of a lean but it do for the rest of the night : )

Some where to  cyclists hosting place

A bit of a early start to the days riding as I keep riding down hill until I'm back near sea level then it's along some more back roads until I get back on SH1 - having done the gravel parts of the road with out dropping the bike in the gravel just before I get on SH1 as I'm riding down a tarseal road I stop to check the map - as I'm getting under way I touch the edge of the road with the bike wheels - it's deep but lose gravel - I don't unclip fast enough and the bike tips over - I do a bit of a hapkido break fall to protect my hands and wrists from injury as I hit the road - it might be a slow speed fall but the fall can still cause injury - after a check for injuries (all ok though I might be a black and blue in a few places latter) I get back on the bike and ride off down on SH1 south - a few km latter I get to a place where there is a old 1902? Road/rail bridge  (the rail on the top deck (which is still being in use) and a one Lane road bridge on the lower deck (the road deck was pulled up when a new 2 Lane bridge was built a few years ago near the old Bridge -  after getting some photos it's time to get back on the road  I head up the hill getting in to the small town where I spend some time at the info center Including finding out if the cycle hosting place is still open as the old bike on a old watertank  is missing? (that is the marker for the bike hosted that I have stayed at before when riding this route) yes it's still open - as I find out latter some one had stolen the old bike off the watertank  then it's time for the next bit of riding over rolling hills ending with a fun down hill then it's down a gravel road for a bit to the bike touring accommodation where I spend the rest of the day doing my washing and a few other jobs before spending time reading before heading to bed for the night in my tent (there is a bunk room as well at the place (the place has been /is used by farm workers at times? As well as for touring cyclists (Maybe?)

Ferry to picton doc camp ground 12? By bike

Note - I'm Playing chach up on my trip notes  -  I'm only a week behind on this ride - and yes typing up my notes from the tour aotearoa ride is on my  to do list - so you just have to wait  on that (sorry I'm not very fast or good at typing  (and the speech to typing things don't seem to  like my way of speaking)

Ferry to picton doc camp ground  12? By bike

At some point in the early morning it's was this to load on the ferry - so out the door of the ferry place with the bike and on to the ferry - after tieing the bike down and putting the park brake on (a strap on the handle bars that holds the front brake leaver on so the bike don't roll away  or move when I don't want it to) I head up the sets  of steps  to the upper (public) decks  - at one point passing by a barrier  between two sets of steps  (one set is for public access - the other set of steps must be crew access to other parts of the ship)  - the barrier looks like some thing from the tietank movie (where it was used to separate between  1th and 2th class (or was that 3th class? ) any way after getting up on deck I start looking around for a ok place to try to get some sleep as its now around 2:30 - 3am   - just after find a place one of the crew comes up to me with a clip board  ( hum I wonder what's up now? I tend to worry when some one I don't know comes up to me with a clip board as it offer means a change in plans) as it turns out I'm offed the use of a cabin for free for the  crossing - so a unexpected but happy surprise (and a big thanks to blue bridge for letting me have use of the 2 person cabin)  - after saying yes (and thank you) and putting some info down on a piece of paper I'm giving the key card to the cabin - I'm not sure what to expect when I get to my cabin - well it's a bit like a small room at a motel or some thing (I think I only have stayed in a motel room  about 4-5  times that I can remember)  there's a bed agest the far wall with a swing down 2th bed near it - I spot a door what at first think is a carbit but is a bathroom with a good size shower  - after some thought I decide use the shower -  well it's the first time I had to deal with getting a bit sea sick in a shower with the shower moving  around as the ship moves though the water Kat lest on this trip I get to keep my dinner : )  unlike one of the last trips across...

After the good shower it's time to get some sleep for a few hours (after putting my phone on charge (there's a power pug it the cabin)  I do get some sleep - not sure how much - well it's more then I useley get on the ferry : ) then its time to head back to the main public part of the ship and hand the key card in before a  it of a wait as we get into picton then it's time to unload from the ferry

   welcome to the south Island : )   its just after sunrise as I head down town for a bit of a look around killing time  before heading to the library  for a few hours (where my lack of sleep desides to chach up on me - yep I fall asleep  in the library as I do some reading on my tablet - well that's a new one for me : )   then its time for a bit of shopping before I head the 10 km on the road to port underwood (there's a doc camp ground 10 km from town on this road - $6 a night per person for a tent site)

After setting up camp I get in a bit of reading before heading off to sleep for the night

Rest day at doc camp ground

I deside to have a lazy day - was going to go for a walk but decide  just to stay in the tent and  chach up on reading  (and my lack of sleep : )

Day off the bike in porirua

Day off the bike in porirua

I have a planed day off the bike today
It's nice to I don't have to pack and move camp today and sleep in as much as I  like   - latter in the day I go for a 6 km walk into town and back Including visiting the library for a few hours before looking around town some more before heading back to the camp ground just on dark

Porirua to Wellington
A bit of a late start what's not a issue as I only got around 20-25 km to ride and have until 2am to get to the place the ferry to picton leaves from - it takes a bit of route finding to find the right roads to take to get into Wellington with a bit of a fun  hill to climb over on the way - I did stop for a break at Johnsonville before taking a fun down hill and   taking a cycle path/Lane route to the train station (the ferry I'm taking leave from across the road from the station  - getting to the ferry around 2 :30 pm I now have a 12 hour wait until my ferry leaves at 2:30 am so I'm killing time by typing up trip notes : )

Levin to porirua 86 km

Levin to porirua  86 km

After a bad night - (including a few nightmares to do with what happened the day before) I knew I had a choice -after yesterday I could live in fear and have what if's have control over my life or I could put yesterday's events behind me and keep living my life the best way I can  - in the end to me it was simple -  I'm determined to put what happened to me yesterday behind me - I do not and will not let fear and what if's have control over my life so it was time to get back on the road by bike

As I was leaving levin I deside to have a bit of retail therapy  looking at things at a big 2th hand shop (save mart) - I found a nice pare of leg/knee warmers (for cycling) and a nice cycle top - total cost was $17  then it was back on the road with the road being mosty flat passing through farmland  though the town of Otaki (a town that looks like it's made up of factory 2th shops - as most of the shops you pass on the main road are factory 2th shops - the town centre is around a km off the main road -

funny story - when I was walking the te araoa trail a few years ago I walked through Otaki - when I stopped at the info center to asked where the library was I got told it was a long walk way and was I up to a long walk - well after asking just how far it was and getting told it was a km away I just said with a smile "well having walked from cape reinga to get here (over 1400 km)  I think I can walk 1km to get to the library ok"

Past Otaki I keep riding on the main road until I get to a side road with cycle route signs so I follow the signs down roads and tracks for much of the rest of the days riding - in places there's a lack of signs that make route finding a bit of a challenge - some parts are well marked and have off road cycle/walk way paths - in other places there no signs and it takes a bit of hunting around to find the next part of the route that takes me into porirua where I get to then it's up a hill to a Campground that I have stayed at in the past - though because of how I'm treated (transgender suff)  I most likely be looking for a different place to stay in future  - after setting up camp I spend a bit of time reading and relaxing as I charge up my e-suff  before heading off to bed for the night

Mount Lee's reserve to Levin 60 km

Mount Lee's reserve to Levin 60 km

Well I'm not really sure what to put down for this day...

The day started well as I headed back on to the main road then on to Sanson (where I stop for a bit of food) the road is mostly flat?  As I pass though farmland passing a few places I remember riding to on training rides (from when I Spent time in Palmerston North and was training for at lest one of my taupo fun rides some years ago) before I get into the town of foxton where after looking at a replica of a early steam train engine I get some food and get a photo of the large windmill that in town before heading out of town - as I'm turning on to the main road a vehicle towing a carvan drives slowly past before pulling out with the driver giving me a odd look?  (not a look I seen before?)   a few km?  Out of foxton is a old long narrow bridge over a flood way/ river?  With a cycle path/walk way that by pass's the old Bridge - as I'm heading along the path a older man (who I latter remember was the one towing the carvan) is walking along the path - after careful going around him I stop to take some photos of the old Bridge - as I'm taking the photos the older man starts talking to me who I never seen before (what's a common thing - I have up to 20 people a day chat to me as I ride around nz) but a few minutes in things start getting um werd then nasty - with the things he was saying then I noticed just where he was putting his hands - I'm not sure how to put this great basically had a got to try and rape me - he only stopped when I looked him in the eye and told him to stop or I would break his hand - after I got away from him the rest of the ride to levin (around 20 km) I don't really remember I think I may of been in shock?  - onice I got into levin I went to the police station to report what happened - well in short they did take down my details (I was a complete mess by this point) but the police man basic told me for advice - well it was Victim blaming - I got told I had to to be more careful who I talk to - well after 10 + years on the road and having up to 20 people a day chat to me (and me not being able to read people) with out any real issues I think it would be better to locked up such sick people and though away the key instead of saying I needed to be more careful who I talk to (also much of the time the victim knows the person that attacked them from what I heard) any how as I was no longer safe to ride I ended up staying at someone's place instead of where I was planning on staying the night (about 15? Km out of town at a free doc camp ground)

Wanganui to near Bulls 60? Km

Wanganui to near Bulls 60? Km

A late start to the days riding - it's more rolling hills to ride over today for the first 25 km then the road mostly flattering out as I get closer to the town of Bulls (around 50 km into the days riding) where I spend a bit of time around town before heading out of town towards Sanson but turning off the main road on to a bike road to head to a place called Mount Lee's reserve - you can free camp in a tent (or motor home there)over night  also there is a great bush walk around the reserve)

Day off the bike at Mount Lee's reserve

I decided to have a day off riding today - so I could do a few jobs on the bike including making up new pieces to fit on the handle bars on top of the brake leavers  (I'm still running my old v - brake leavers (that set lower on the bars then road bike leavers) on my new drop bar set up so the new bits are a bit like dummy brake leavers so I can rest my hands on that part of the bars )  also today is the one year mark of me being damiana and my first year living full time as female  so it's a big day for me (in many ways a 2th birthday of the year for me)   I do go for a walk around the place having some fun playing with the camera on the phone  before heading back to my tent for the rest of the day reading a few books before heading off to sleep for the night.

Patea to wanganui 75 km

Patea to wanganui  75 km

Getting on the road a bit later then planed I ride through a few small towns - I did stop at Waverley for a bit of food including some chocolate (jelly tip - a bit like the ice cream) because - well it's been awhile that I got some chocolate and why not (that said I'm cutting down on chocolate and other "junk food c as much as I can - some days are better than others with that : ) then its back on the road riding over rolling hills until I get into town/city of wanganui/whanganui? (Some spell it one way-others spell it the other way)  around 3 pm where I head to the info center to see if a place I camped at before is still open for camping (a free doc camping place) - it's still around ( note - I was planning on staying there but because of some thing that happened near foxton I did not stay there as planed on this ride)  then it's off to the supermarket for the next days food - as its a public holiday in nz tomorrow (Anzac day) the shops are closed until at less 1pm  so I'm doing tomorrow's shopping tonight    - I was hoping to get in some more riding but with it getting late in the day (daylight)  I end up staying the night at a some what over priced camping ground (top 10 -  $22 a night per person for a tent site)   - i spend a few hours setting up a new Facebook page for my upcoming lake Taupo ride this year before heading off to bed for the night